


Heartbeats

by Manateequeem



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, Confessions, Injury, M/M, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-09 11:10:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20993840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Manateequeem/pseuds/Manateequeem
Summary: “Yeah,” he croaked, “and one day, after this stupid war, we can wake up early together.”“After this war...” Linhardt repeated, taking in another laboured breath before reconnecting his eyes with Caspar’s bright cerulean ones, “I’d like that very much.” He took Caspar’s scarred and bloodied hand into his own dry palms.





	Heartbeats

“They’ll find us in the morning.” Linhardt spoke amongst the darkness, letting his head fall back on to the cold stone wall he was leaning against. Green hair usually silky and neat was tangled and matted with dried blood, the dark substance staining his too pale skin.

  
Caspar opened his mouth to deny what Linhardt was saying, and perhaps before the start of the war he would have vehemently disagreed with his friend’s pessimism, telling him to lighten up a bit, but instead he let his lips fall shut. “Yeah.” He was in no better state than Linhardt, blood soaking through the gaps in his armour, stiffening the fabric at his shoulders, as the two hid in the abandoned Fort Merceus, awaiting the Faerghus knights who would eventually find and kill them. The Empire had truly fallen.

  
He could hear Linhardt laugh dryly, the harsh sound piercing his ears in the relative silence, “You’re not usually one to give up.” His voice sounded strained- weaker than usual- although Caspar supposed that was only natural considering their certain impending deaths.

  
He turned his head slightly, mustering up any strength he could find to peer at his friend, admiring the way Linhardt’s breaths came out as warm clouds amongst the frozen air. It reminded him that they were still alive. “I’ve not given up yet. We’re both still breathing, right?” Caspar forced a smile, but his face-no,_ everything_\- felt sore.

  
“Barely.” Linhardt let out another wry laugh, and Caspar could see the way he was shaking ever so slightly. He wasn’t sure if it was out of fear or the cold. Probably both.

  
He raised one heavy arm, motioning for Linhardt to move closer to him, “Here.” The other scooted beside him, not paying any mind to the dried blood littering Caspar’s armour and letting his head rest against the dented metal plates, arms wrapping around his folded knees as Caspar let his arm fall on Linhardt’s shoulder. “At least we won’t freeze to death now.”

  
“Yes,” he let his eyelids fall shut, long eyelashes tickling against his cheekbones, “although I suppose there are other ways we could go.”

  
“We’re not going to die.” Caspar persisted, eyes tracing the pattern of the bricks opposite him.

  
“You always say that.”

  
“And I’ve been right every time.” His stiff fingers painted small circles on Linhardt’s shoulders as he spoke, “We’re still alive.”

  
Linhardt hummed, and with their proximity, Caspar could feel the weak vibration against his skin. “Hm, we are, aren’t we?”

  
“Yeah!” Caspar’s fingers stilled as he looked down at Linhardt again, whose eyes were now opened, revealing dull blue orbs. “And even if they find us, they won’t kill us. I won’t let them.”

  
Linhardt’s expression fell as he glared at his feet, “I’m sure Dorothea and Ferdinand didn’t intend to let themselves be killed, but you saw what happened. You can’t be so positive about these things, Caspar.”

  
_“Lin,_ I-“

  
“I’m sorry.” Linhardt shook his head, desperately trying to displace the images of his friends dying. He remembered blank eyes staring back at him, bodies turning cold as he failed to heal them. _“I- I couldn’t_-“

  
“Don’t blame yourself.” Caspar tightened his hold on Linhardt, ignoring the dull ache of his sore muscles. “It’s not your fault they had to-” he took in a shaky breath, “We’re not to blame here.”

  
Silence overtook them for a few moments, and Caspar thought he could hear Linhardt’s heartbeat steadying itself. He looked at his friend, the moonlight which filtered in through the gaps in the stone illuminating his fair skin, only serving to highlight the blood tainting his face, evidence of the battle and war and _death_ which they both so desperately tried to escape from.

  
Caspar’s chest felt tight and he heaved a breath, breaking the silence, “What time do you think it is?”

  
“Too late to be awake. Or perhaps too early now.” Linhardt idly toyed with the hem of his sleeve, anything to distract him from the sharp pain from the wound at his waist.

  
“It’s always too early,” Caspar coughed into his dirty palm, frowning at the dots of red splattered across his palm, “for you to be awake.” He finished.

  
If Linhardt saw the blood on Caspar’s hand, he chose not to comment on it, “And you’ve always found it too early to not be awake.” He smiled sadly as Caspar angled himself so they could face each other, arm still wrapped around Linhardt’s more slender form.

  
“Yeah,” he croaked, “and one day, after this stupid war, we can wake up early together.”

  
“After this war...” Linhardt repeated, taking in another laboured breath before reconnecting his eyes with Caspar’s bright cerulean ones, “I’d like that very much.” He took Caspar’s scarred and bloodied hand into his own dry palms.

  
“Let’s go travel the world together.” Caspar said and Linhardt simply nodded.

  
“You know, when we were at the Officer’s Academy,” Linhardt began, forcing out every word he said as he fought the urge to let his eyes rest.

  
“Yeah?” Caspar prodded, smiling slightly as Linhardt squeezed his hand a little tighter.

  
“When Ferdinand called you frustrating.” Caspar shivered hearing the name of their old friend.

  
“And I asked you if I was annoying to prove him wrong and you told me that even though I was a pain, you liked me."

  
Linhardt smiled fondly, “Yes. What do you think I meant by that?”

  
Caspar’s eyes scanned Linhardt’s expression carefully, “I- _no, you didn’t,”_ Linhardt looked amused as Caspar continued to stumble over his words, “why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  
“Honestly,” Linhardt felt himself grow comfortable, the pain in his side ignored as he yawned into his free hand, “I’m not sure.”

  
“Lin, we could have had so much more time together!”

  
“Aren’t you the one who said we weren’t dying here? We've got the rest of our lives together.” Linhardt let his forehead fall against the crevice between Caspar’s chin and neck.

  
Caspar shook his head, “Now we definitely aren’t dying here.” Soft and shallow breaths blew at Caspar’s neck. “C’mon, we’ve got to get out of this place.”

  
“Okay.” Linhardt answered simply, feeling a hand tip his chin gently upwards as he was now face to face with Caspar.

  
“Can I?” his spoke in a hushed tone, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth, before Linhardt nodded slowly.

  
“Well, I practically confessed just now, so-“ he was cut off by the sensation of rough lips pressed against his own chapped ones and he forgot about the pain and the war which had encompassed their lives. When Caspar pulled away for air, he had a bright smile on his face, almost resembling the wide grin he would wear before Edelgard declared war. He looked full of vigour and life again; full of some sort of motivation to survive, and it made Linhardt feel that perhaps he too could have some hope for the future the two of them would share.

  
“Let’s go.” Caspar stood up on wobbling legs, using the wall as leverage with one hand, holding out his other hand for Linhardt to hoist himself up with, which he did. He let himself lean against Caspar as they took their first few steps, leaving a trail of blood droplets in their wake. Even then, Linhardt thought that perhaps they would make it out, just the two of them, and perhaps they wouldn’t die, and could live a life together in a time of peace. He let his head fall against Caspar's shoulder and heard a steady heartbeat which grounded him.

**Author's Note:**

> do they make it out?? i dont know!
> 
> thank you for reading anyway, i love comments and kudos :D


End file.
